Dicky Grigg of Spivey & Grigg, Steve McConnico of Scott, Douglass & McConnico, and Joe Bill Watkins of Vinson & Elkins were recipients of the notable Distinguished Lawyer Award. This award is presented to a lawyer who has practiced for 30 years or more and has significantly contributed to the profession and the community.
Grigg, a partner with Spivey & Grigg, has practiced as a civil trial attorney since 1973. A former president of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Grigg became involved in representing detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. He has also been active in the Austin and Texas chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
McConnico is a partner with Scott, Douglass & McConnico, practicing general civil and commercial litigation, class action litigation, business torts, oil and gas litigation, and professional malpractice. He has served as president of the Supreme Court Historical Society, chair of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas, and president of the Baylor Law School Alumni Association.
Watkins has served as the head lobbyist for Vinson & Elkins for more than 20 years. He represented clients such as the Association of American Publishers School Division in Texas, Time Warner, Texas Children's Hospital, and Boone Pickens. He also has served as president of the Ronald McDonald House and has raised money for many local causes and political campaigns.
Also awarded at the Gala was David M. Davis, who received the David H. Walter Community Excellence Award for making a significant impact in the community that has raised the profile of the legal profession. A partner with Davis & Wilkerson, Davis has been extremely active with the Rotary Club of Northwest Austin, the American Diabetes Association, and the Championship Heart Foundation. He has also been a leader in his firm, urging by example, for all attorneys to provide pro bono legal services through Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas.
In addition to recognizing these lawyers who go above and beyond the call of duty, the Austin Bar Foundation's Gala raises money for the Austin Bar Association's many charitable projects, including Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, People's Law School, Law-Related Education, Austin Adoption Day, Hunger Relief Project and other law-related charities.
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